General Costanza Removed from Europe Command Without Explanation
Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, commander of the Army’s V Corps overseeing U.S. military operations across Europe, was removed from command in recent days, according to Army confirmation on Friday, nearly two months before his scheduled rotation in October. The Pentagon has not disclosed the specific reasons for his removal, though a source stated it was unrelated to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s broader purge of senior military leadership. Maj. Gen. Thomas Feltey, who was already Senate-confirmed for the post, will assume command as Costanza’s replacement.
Costanza’s abrupt departure occurs within a wider pattern of military reshuffling under Hegseth, who has removed or sidelined more than two dozen high-ranking officers without public explanation. The lack of transparency surrounding these personnel actions reflects the Trump administration’s approach to restructuring military institutions and leadership through opaque decision-making processes that bypass traditional accountability mechanisms.
V Corps, partially based in Poland, holds critical responsibility for coordinating U.S. Army forces and NATO operations across Europe, a role that has intensified significantly since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The command manages American military support for Kyiv and oversees the U.S. military presence along NATO’s eastern frontline, making the stability and continuity of leadership in this position strategically significant.
The Pentagon has simultaneously downsized the U.S. military footprint in Europe this year, including the cancellation of a planned deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team to Poland. After drawing criticism from Warsaw, Trump later announced plans to position 5,000 troops in Poland, demonstrating inconsistent and politicized decision-making regarding European military deployments.
Costanza, an armor officer who has commanded V Corps since April 2024, previously led the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford is serving as acting commanding general pending the formal transition.